Customs Employees at Rotterdam Harbor Suspected of Corruption

A new investigation by police regarding corruption amongst Custom employees at Rotterdam Harbor, has yielded three suspects.  When the police entered their homes, they found large amounts of cash and jewelry.

https://bit.ly/2S6VNxI

Amsterdam Municipal Council Wants to Give Local Passport to Illegal Citizens

The Green left party wants to give a local passport to about 10,000 illegal foreigners living in the country.  Several other parties support the idea.  It is assumed that many of these people have entered the Netherlands on a temporary visa and have stayed.  Among them are people from the Phillipines and Brazil.

https://www.ad.nl/amsterdam/amsterdamse-gemeenteraad-wil-lokaal-paspoort-voor-illegalen~a633be8d/

Dutch Consumer Confidence Drops For Sixth Consecutive Month

The Dutch Consumer Confidence Index has fallen for the sixth month in a row. The fall in January 2019 was the biggest in seven years. The Central Bureau of Statistics said that the consumers have more doubts about the economic climate and are less willing to spend money.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/01/dutch-consumer-confidence-drops-eight-points-sixth-fall-in-a-row/

Chinese Hack Economic Information in the Netherlands

Cyber security company, Fox-IT, says that there must be victims in the Netherlands of the Chinese state hacker group, APT10.  The Chinese are interested in patents and intellectual properties with which they can gain economic advantage in the future.  A Dutch company can lose a tender because information has been stolen, thereafter the Chinese bidder can make an offer somewhat cheaper than the Dutch offer. 

https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/aivd-chinese-geheime-dienst-hackt-gevoelige-info-in-nederland~a6310fb12/

Turkey Expels Dutch Correspondent

Turkey has expelled Dutch journalist Johanna Cornelia Boersma, the freelance correspondent for the Financieele Dagblad.  A spokesman of Prime Minister Erdogan has said that the Turkish authorities have received information from the Dutch police that she had contacts with a terrorist organization. 

https://www.ad.nl/buitenland/turkije-boersma-had-banden-met-een-terroristische-organisatie~a9af0c48/

Dutch Secondary School System too Rigid

The chairwoman of the Dutch Education Council, Henriette Maassen-Van den Brink, said that first year secondary school pupils  should be taught in mixed ability classes. In that way they get to know people from a wider section of society. Another problem is that many Dutch secondary schools, particularly in cities, no longer offer a mix of academic streams and children are segregated from other ability groups. People end up living in their own clubs and that can create a schism in society.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/12/dutch-secondary-school-system-too-rigid-leads-to-segregation/

Investigation of Police on Corruption

The official prosecutor has confirmed that there will be an investigation by the National Detective Service of the tenders for alcohol breath analyzers by the Dutch police. The Tomar company which supplies breath analyzers has brought a complaint against the Dutch police because of misinformation, abuse of power and blackmail.

https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/onderzoek-naar-corruptie-bij-aanbesteding-alcoholtesters-politie~a7a1eae3/